Among fuel supplying devices that supply fuel within a fuel tank to an exterior device such as an engine or the like, there are fuel supplying devices that are provided with a fuel filter within a fuel tank main body and that send-out fuel, that is in a state in which foreign matter has been removed therefrom by the fuel filter, from within the fuel filter to the exterior. For example, a structure in which a protector that is rigid is surrounded by a filter cloth is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-139006 (Patent Document 1).
In the structure of Patent Document 1, because the space within the filter cloth is ensured by the protector, fuel can be maintained within the filter cloth at times when the fuel tank is horizontal. However, in cases in which the fuel tank tilts or g force is applied to the fuel tank (hereinafter, these cases are collectively called “times when the liquid surface of the fuel tilts”), when the fuel within the fuel tank moves away from the filter cloth, the oil film at the surface of the filter cloth is broken, and the fuel within the filter cloth flows-out the exterior (the interior of the fuel tank), and therefore, there is the concern that so-called running-out of fuel will occur.
To address this, a fuel supplying device of a structure in which a cell-shaped cup is disposed at the top surface of a suction filter and a given amount of fuel held within the cup is supplied to the filter, is disclosed in the Journal of Technical Disclosure of the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation No. 2009-506962 (Non-Patent Document 1). By holding fuel on the fuel filter and causing the fuel to contact the fuel filter in this way, the oil film of the fuel filter can be maintained.
By the way, as the structure of a fuel tank, there is a structure that is provided with plural accommodating portions for accommodating fuel. Because the fuel pump is disposed at one (this is called the “first fuel accommodating portion”) of the plural accommodating portions, fuel must be transported to the first fuel accommodating portion from the accommodating portion at which the fuel pump is not disposed (this is called the “second fuel accommodating portion”).
Also in a fuel tank having plural accommodating portions, it can be thought that a fuel filter with a cup, such as that disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, is disposed at each of the accommodating portions. However, for example, in a state in which the fuel filter of the second fuel accommodating portion is not immersed, even if an attempt is made to transport fuel from the second fuel accommodating portion to the first fuel accommodating portion, a vapor component is transported from the interior of the fuel filter of the second fuel accommodating portion, and therefore, there is the concern that a long time will be required in order to send-out fuel from the first fuel accommodating portion.